Fruit Family

CUCUMBERS

Calypso/Pickling
Medium green cukes with white spines are nice and chubby. Ideal for pickling.MinistroCylindrical 8–9″ cukes have shiny and thin skins. Crispy, sweet, and thin, the Ministro is ideal for eating raw.

STORAGE:
You may have realized that cucumbers will only stay in the fridge for 1-3 days until they become squishy. Ideal storage would mean a cool place in the kitchen (about 55 degrees Fahrenheit) in a plastic bag with holes sliced in it.BEST USED:
Pickled, sliced fresh, chopped on saladACCOMPANYING FLAVORS:
Vinegar, mint, dill, chili, yogurt, fetaRECIPES:
Simple and light creamy cucumber salad hereCucumber, tomato, and feta saladCreamy cucumber soup! Now that’s got to be refreshing used for this awesome side dish.Here is a popular stir-fry recipe incorporating snow peas.

MELON

Galia-DiplomatThe Galia appears to be a honeydew with light green flesh, but has the sweetness and flavor of cantaloupe. Large 5+ lb fruits are fragrant and “sweet all the way down to the rind”.Cantaloupe-Hannah’s ChoiceThis cantaloupe is described as “smooth, perfumy, juicy with syrupy sweetness”. You couldn’t ask for anything more!

PEPPERS

Bell-King of the NorthThis is our classic sweet bell pepper. Mostly green and occasionally blotched with red.Sweet Frying-Jimmy NardelloThis thin red pepper looks like it would taste like fire, but instead has a sweet mild flavor that you can even eat raw! Deep red peppers have slightly wrinkled skin.Jalapeno
These dark green chubby peppers are our classic hot pepper. Hot, but not too hot!

STORAGE:
Keep in the fridge in a plastic bag. To freeze, wash, slice, and freeze on a cookie sheet so that peppers do not freeze to one another, then place in freezer bag or airtight container.BEST USED:
Raw if not too hot, in stir-fry, on a sandwichACCOMPANYING FLAVORS:
Cheese, tomato, soy sauce, any veggieRECIPES:Stuffed peppers are delicious and versatile! Throw in rice, beans, veggies, and a protein if you wish.
Grill ’em up! Grilled stuffed jalapenos

TOMATILLOS

Verde Puebla
Tomatillos look like green tomatoes, but have a completely different flavor. Husks wrapping around green fruits split when ripe. They have a lemon-like sweet flavor that is tangy when eaten raw or mild when cooked.

STORAGE:
Tomatillos can stay at room temperature for a few days if not initially ripe, or in the fridge for a few days loosely wrapped in plastic. To freeze, rinse and let dry. Place them on a cookie sheet in the freezer for a few hours, then place in a freezer bag or airtight container for later enjoyment.BEST USED:
Raw, chopped and cooked in saucesACCOMPANYING FLAVORS:
Chile, garlic, cilantroRECIPES:Salsa verdeSpice up your chicken with this recipe!
This roasted tomatillo and black bean soup looks divine.

WATERMELON

SunsweetA gloriously huge variety with dark red flesh and striped dark green skin.SangriaThis watermelon is the sweetest and juiciest of them all. Fruits are usually 10-12 lbs with deep red flesh.

STORAGE:
Whole melons will stay at room temperature for 7 to 10 days. After cutting, they will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days.BEST USED:
Chilled and sliced, in any sweet or even savory recipeACCOMPANYING FLAVORS:
Mint, lemon, prosciuttoRECIPES:
A refreshing watermelon-mint coolerSouthwest watermelon salad to spice it up!

ZUCCHINI

8 BallRound dark squash like the classic green zucchini but with a slightly sweeter flavor.Yellow-Slick PikThin, long yellow zucchini with smooth skins are great for slicing and sauteing.Patty Pan-SunburstThese yellow, round squash have a very interesting shape, as if a round squash is wearing a skirt.Spineless KingThe classic long, thin and dark green zucchini with no itchy spines!

EGGPLANT

GalineGaline is the classic bell-shaped deep purple eggplant with a mild flavor.Ping TungPing Tung, named for a town in Taiwan, is the long, skinny and slightly curved eggplant grown at Terra Fauna, described as slightly sweet.

STORAGE:
Just like cucumbers, eggplant can be stored for just a few days in the fridge. However, if the ideal temperature of about 60 degrees can be reached, eggplant will stay for over a week without softening.BEST USEDEggplant is rather mild, and sometimes considered the “tofu of vegetables”, in that is substituted for meat in vegetarian recipes and takes up the flavor of spices and surrounding veggies. It can be baked, sauteed, or roasted. Some recipes recommend slicing, salting, then removing the water that forms on slices due to bitter flavor.ACCOMPANYING FLAVORS:
Chili, ginger, garlic, cumin, sesameRECIPES:Baba ganoush – The classic flavorful Mediterranean dipEggplant Parmesan– A lighter take on the Italian dish with chickenHoney-Roasted Eggplant with Chiles – A flavor punch!

OKRA

Cajun JewelGrowing best in the South, Cajun Jewel has been a bayou favorite since the 1950s. Green pods are entirely edible with a mild flavor.Red BurgundyThis okra is a true star with with green leaves and burgundy ribs, stems and pods. Tastes just like the Cajun Jewel.

STORAGE:
Place in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. To freeze, wash and remove stems, blanch, then place in freezer bag or airtight container.BEST USED:
Roasted, stewed, boiled, fried.ACCOMPANYING FLAVORS:
Garlic, tomato, pepper, seafoodRECIPES:Classic fried okra from Paul Deen herself.Stewed okra and tomatoesKeep it simple with roasted okra!

STRAWBERRY

CavendishMedium-sized strawberries should be medium to dark red when ripe and extra sweet!

STORAGE:
Do not wash these until right before you are ready to eat! Refrigerate if you are not going to eat them for a few hours, which is rare. They also keep well for smoothies and pies if frozen.BEST USED:
Eaten fresh, sliced and tossed on a salad, frozen in a smoothieACCOMPANYING FLAVORS:
Lemon, rhubarb, balsamic vinegarRECIPES:Strawberry rhubarb pie is a wonderful stand-by!Strawberry shortcakeSpinach and strawberry salad to get those greens!

TOMATOES

Cherry – Sun Gold, Cherry SweetieSun Gold cherry tomatoes are the bright orange-yellow little ones that are only slightly acidic but sweet. Cherry Sweet, as its name suggest, is red and sweet and can be. Both should be popped right in your mouth!Amish PasteAmish Paste is a great big meaty oblong tomato that is perfect for sauces and salsas, or eating fresh.Tiffen MennoniteThis heirloom tomato has pink flesh and can be palm-sized or larger. Recommended as a sandwich slice tomato or raw.Ruby GoldRuby Gold tomatoes are huge and beautiful with red-streaked yellow skins. They have low acidity and a mild, smooth taste and texture.RutgersThese smooth red shiny fruits have the old-timey tomato taste you crave. Delicious and juicy!

STORAGE:
Unripe tomatoes will ripen if placed in the sun. Ripe tomatoes can be kept at room temperature out of sun for a few days if they are not touching one another.BEST USED:
Slicing, cooking, canning, rawACCOMPANYING FLAVORS:
Oregano, basil, cheese, olive oil, onions, chives, chiliRECIPES:
The possibilities are almost endless.Simple caprese!
Tomato sauce for when you have tomatoes on tomatoes here. Add or subtract whatever you like!Tortellini and tomato salad

WINTER SQUASH

SpaghettiOblong yellow squash are about 4 pounds, and have a mild flavor. When baked and scraped at with a fork, flesh falls out and looks just like spaghetti!AcornGreen, gold, and yellow acorn-shaped squash are sweet and nutty.ButternutLight tan oblong squash with a flavor even sweeter than that of acorn. Butternut are tough and can stay for a few months if refrigerated!DelicataDelicata is ivory-colored with dark green stripes, oblong like a spaghetti squash. Flavor is sweet like butternut, but the flesh is edible.Neck Pumpkin
Neck pumpkins have the long gooseneck shape just like their namesake. Deep orange with a rich flavor used for pies.